Career by Numbers

The following information - Career by Number - has been drawn from the WORK supplement in Saturday's edition of 'The Guardian' newspaper over the past two months, and it can be used  as a 'fun' exercise at the beginning of each month, either in some form of quiz exercise or as a poster competition for Careers of the Month.
 For the poster display, pupils (in teams) could be encouraged to use the details enclosed to design their own posters as well as adding more information such as

• Who would employ this person? Could they be employed locally?
• Names of any relatives/friends/neighbours/past pupils who currently do this job? (photos are an added bonus)
• Skills/Qualities necessary to do the job
• Roles and positions of responsibility explained within each of the careers
• Where I can find more information if interested in this career

A sample of some questions for the teacher to use in a general classroom discussion as an alternative exercise

• Reactions to the figures presented
• Why such a range of different pay scales for each of the careers presented?
• Why are some careers more popular than others?
• Re-arrange the FOUR in your order of preference where you to select ONE for yourself.  Give reasons for your order of preference.
• Gender differences and reasons for such disparity.

ARCHITECT

Put a figure to each of the following questions

What is the average earnings for a sole principal architect with a small firm?            £40,000
What is the average earnings for a principal architect in a partnership?                    £55,000
What is the average earnings for a private in-house architect?                                 £60,500
The percentage of architects who are male/female?                                                 80/20
The number of years of combined study and training required
to become a registered architect?                                                                            7
Average number of graduates who register each year?                                             950
Students currently on UK architecture courses (most still go on
to work in architect-related fields even if they don't register)                                     13,500
Percentage working in private practice                                                                     44
What percentage are principals in partnership                                                           29
Percentage who are sole principals                                                                           12
What percentage work in the public sector?                                                                9
The percentage who work as private, in-house architects                                             6

ACUPUNCTURE

Estimated starting salary for newly qualified acupuncturist                                          £12,500
Estimated salary after FIVE years experience                                                            £20,000
Potential salary for acupuncturist with a large, established practice                              £40,000
The number of acupuncture points on th ehuman body                                                500
Acunpture points nomally focused on in one session                                                   10 - 12
The number of traditional acupuncturist in the UK                                                       3,200
Approximate number of hours of study required for a BSc
or BA degree level training or its equivalent in traditional acupuncture                          3,600
Estimated number of people who use acupuncture to help
treat a a variety of conditions every year                                                                      3,000,000
The percentage working in the NHS                                                                           10
The percentage self employed                                                                                     90

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER

Starting salary for trainee controller at National Air Traffic Service College                   £10,782
Upper limit salary for fully qualified air traffic controller (ATC)                                     £46,878
Estimated salary for senior air traffic supervisors & controllers                              £91,000
Percentage of air traffic contollers who are male/female                                                75/25
Years of training typically required to qualify as an air traffic controller(ATC)                3-4
Approximate number of ATCs working in the UK                                                       2,500
Percentage of ATCs working in area control centres/in airports                                    70/30

ACTING

The reported nightly pay for a child actor appearing in the West End
musical Oliver                                                                                                            £20
Reported pay per episcode for actor Hugh Lawrie, star of TV series House                £220,000
Estimated earnings grossed last year by Hollywood actor Tom Hanks                         £22 million
Percentage of Equity (trade union) members earning over £30,000 per year                6
Percentage of Equity members earning less than £6,000 a year                                   52
Approximate membership of UK performers' union Equity who list
acting as their main occupation                                                                                   19,000
Average number of weeks per year that UK actors work professionally                      11.3
The percentage of UK-based actors who are reckoned to be out
of work at any given moment                                                                                      92